Limburg crime ring busted; 14 arrested

On Tuesday the police in Zuid-Limburg arrested 14 people on suspicion of involvement in dozens of crimes including car thefts, burglaries, ram raids, handling stolen goods and money laundering. According to the police, all 14 suspects no each other and the crimes were committed by varying smaller groups made up of the various suspects. Most of the crimes were committed in Limburg and across the border in Germany and Belgium in 2016.

As part of the investigation, the police searched 18 properties in Heerlen, Hoensbroek, Amstenrade, Brunssum, Schinveld and Landgraaf. Those are also the hometowns of the suspects. The police seized information, some firearms, two kilograms of hard drugs, cash, stolen cars and stolen car parts, as well as other forms of evidence. More arrests may follow

This police action was done under leadership of the Public Prosecutor and with the support of sniffer dogs and their handlers from the National Police. The dogs are trained to sniff out cash and drugs. The Ministry of Defense's Advanced Search Team also aided in searching for hidden areas with secial equipment.